STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) FOR MASS REARING OF FAW, MAIZE STEM BORER, COWPEA BORER, CICADULINA, APHIDS, THRIPS AND STORAGE PESTS

Sesamia calamistis Hmps. and Eldana sacharina Walker are two of the most important stem borers of maize in Africa (Bosque-Perez et al... these proceedings). Resistant varieties have been suggested as one of the most promising means to decrease the economic losses caused by these two pests (Bowden 1976; Girling 1980). Large numbers of insects are required for resistance studies at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA); thus, successful mass rearing techniques are essential for the implementation of the breeding program. An important consideration when insects are mass reared is to ensure that the laboratory colony exhibits the genetic diversity, aggressiveness, and vitality that the pest population exhibits in nature (Mihm 1983). To accomplish this, we replace our stem borer colony every year.